Scotland's high street reported the worst decline in April sales on record, new figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) show.

Cold and wet April weather led to a drop of 4.1 per cent in total sales on April last year, when total sales had risen by 5.4 per cent on the previous year.

Like-for-like sales for April 2012 were also down 5.4 per cent on April of last year when like-for-like sales had risen by 3.4 per cent.

And stripping out food sales in April, total sales and like-for-like sales were down seven per cent on last year.

The SRC said it was the worst April sales performance since its survey launch in 1999.

It found in both like-for-like and total measures, sales were much weaker in Scotland than the UK as a whole, with April the thirteenth month in a row UK sales growth has outstripped Scotland.

Ian Shearer, Scottish Retail Consortium director, said: "Cold, wet weather across much of Scotland left April a washout for many retailers.

“Our fears that the previous month's healthy sales were just spending being brought forward by good weather then, rather than any permanent revival in consumer confidence, have proved to be true. Unsurprisingly, demand for summer fashion and garden goods faded as the sunshine vanished.

“Times are tough for Scottish customers and retailers but may not be quite as bad as the headline figures suggest.

"Statistically, April recorded the biggest year-on-year sales falls since this Monitor began in 1999.

“Beleaguered household budgets and the coldest April since 1998 were part of the cause, but last year's later Easter and extra bank holiday mean the annual comparison is with strongly positive growth in April 2011, making the figures worse than they might otherwise be.

"Even so, retailers are hoping a feelgood factor from this summer's events and warmer temperatures come to their aid soon."

David McCorquodale, head of retail in Scotland with KPMG, said: "April sales were always going to struggle against the very strong sales figures seen in April 2011, which benefited from the late Easter, glorious weather and a royal wedding.

“In contrast, this year has experienced a very cold and wet April, with the sentiment that it brings being reflected through the tills.

“Food and drink sales fell 2.6 per cent on a like-for-like basis, while non-food sales fell 7.6 per cent.

“Within that, it was clothing and footwear sales that suffered most with a substantial fall in both total and like-for-like measures as shoppers simply refused to buy summer clothes while the sun refused to shine.

"The retail sector is undergoing structural change as our desire or ability to consume ever-increasing volumes of goods diminishes and technological advances continue to change the ways in which we shop.

“While May ought to be brighter than April, the general health of the retail sector continues to falter and consumers don't feel confident enough in their own future incomes to give it the boost that it craves.”